SOCIAL NETWORKING FILTERS

Algorithmic News

Now more than ever, people are receiving their news, both local, national and international through social media. In fact, Google has recently added a component to its algorithm that allows it to pick up on popular news items being posted on social media sites.

For a case study related the issue of acquiring news through social media sites, visit the PERSONALIZED NEWS section.

Facebook's EdgeRank Algorithm

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"EdgeRank is the Facebook algorithm that decides which stories appear in each user's newsfeed. The algorithm hides boring stories, so if your story doesn't score well, no one will see it."http://edgerank.net

"Facebook's EdgeRank pushes content and people it doesn't think you'll be interested in to the ticker, leaving the feed free for the most "relevant" information." The Filter Bubble Within Social Media

Facebook Facts

You only see 20% of all of your friends' status updates

Only updates by those friends you interact with the most are presented

Twitter Facts

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In Twitter aggregators like Hootsuite, you can modify your settings so you will only see posts with a certain "Klout Score."

Algorithmic Culture

Are algorithms defining our culture through powerful filters? Check out how the following sites are using algorithms to choose the 'best' information to put in front of you:

Amazon - Compiles search history and previous purchases to tell you what you'll like.

Target - Retains information about peoples' spending habits in order to send targeted advertisements in the future.

Pandora - Uses one song or artist that you like to filter all music by chords, style, etc. This site also features search advertisements.

Facebook - Uses EdgeRank and other algorithms to rank posts, and only presents those that are deemed 'interesting.'

And, the most elusive algorithm of them all:

Google Search - Uses your search history, your buying habits, and your social networks to determine what to show you.

What Are We Saying About Algorithms?

Kevin Slavin argues that we’re living in a world designed for — and increasingly controlled by — algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And, he warns that we are writing code we can’t understand, with implications we can’t control.

Yan Ohayon demystifies and shares his experience with algorithmic trading and its impact on markets, our lives, and everything in between.

The Problems with Algorithms

One of the major problems with SOCIAL NETWORKING FILTERS and networking filters in general may be that the algorithms are proprietary. Because these algorithms are not public or transparent, they can be manipulated in ways that we do not understand. This is a problem because it allows for the people who control them to push their own agenda with just a short line of code.

The power to control what people see is the power to persuade people.

It is likely that the algorithms are not allowing us to view a true representation of what's out there. But rather, we are stuck piecing together a our own reality from our friends', Amazon's and/or Google's interpretation of what's important. If we are being manipulated by these algorithms, perhaps we should be allowed to know how. But, would it make a difference? If algorithms were public and created more democratically, would we have a better idea of how which information was was missing from our lives?

Read on to see some of the ISSUES that are created from the information void created by algorithmic filters.